The New England Patriots may need a quarterback to start in Week 1 if Tom Brady is suspended for his alleged role in Deflate-Gate and with Jimmy Garoppolo and Garrett Grayson as the other QBs on the roster, Bill Belichick may look at adding a veteran player to come in and work behind Brady, with names like Matt Flynn, Michael Vick and Jason Campbell as potential free agent options.
The Ted Wells report regarding the game balls and deflation in the AFC championship came out last week and it did not paint Brady in a good light at all. According to Pro Football Talk, the report said Brady "more probably than not" knew what was going on and now the NFL could look at administering punishment to him and the team. According to the NY Daily News, Brady will be suspended for the deflation issue, but the matter is simply how long it will be.
That is not a confirmed report, but based on what many in the media have said about the situation, it's very likely that Brady will be suspended. Pro Football Talk wrote over the weekend that if Brady does get suspended for any period of time, the team likely will look at signing a veteran quarterback for the depth chart. The team currently has Garoppolo, who was taken in the second round last year, and Gilbert, who was signed to a contract after spending the year on the practice squad. Gilbert has not thrown a pass in the NFL.
Garoppolo spent a year under Brady last season, but he has never started an NFL game and he only attempted 27 passes last season. Garoppolo played in six games and threw for 182 yards on 19 completions with one touchdown and zero interceptions. The Patriots traded away Ryan Mallett last year and now the team could look at adding a veteran for training camp depending on what happens with Brady.
Pro Football Talk speculates that players like Matt Flynn, Michael Vick and Jason Campbell could be in the mix if the team wants to add a veteran. David Carr, Rex Grossman and Brady Quinn are also free agents along with Kevin Kolb and if Brady is suspended, one of those players could end up as a great trivia question when it comes to the Patriots quarterbacks career. Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston mentioned Flynn as a potential option, as he has had experience coming in for an established quarterback in Aaron Rodgers.
Flynn ended up playing in seven games in 2013 when Aaron Rodgers was injured, passing for 1392 yards and eight touchdowns with five interceptions. Vick is still on the market and could be an option after playing in 10 games with the Jets last season. Obviously the Patriots don't want to deal with Brady being out at all, but with the NFL still not releasing punishment, there is a chance they will need a plan B.
Vick threw for 604 yards last season with three touchdowns and two interceptions. The Patriots are matching up with the Steelers and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in Week 1 of the season at Gillette Stadium.